When it comes to performance nutrition, many athletes are taught to think backward, believing they must “earn” their food through intense training. But this outdated mindset isn’t just unhelpful, it’s harmful. In this post, we’re flipping the script and breaking down why fueling should come first, how it impacts performance and recovery, and what it means to truly train from a place of strength, not scarcity.
Performance Nutrition Isn’t About Earning Your Food, It’s About Fueling First
You’ve likely heard the phrase: “You’ll need to run X miles to burn off that Oreo,” or “Do 100 burpees to make up for that slice of pie.”
Let’s be clear: that’s diet culture talking, not performance nutrition.
Performance nutrition starts with a fundamental truth: Food isn’t something to earn. It’s the foundation for performance.
An increase in training is a reward for an increase in nutrition. NOT the other way around.
Flip the Script on Fueling
Contrary to the messages athletes and coaches often absorb, training more doesn’t give us permission to eat more. It’s the opposite: Eating more gives us permission to train more.
We need to change the narrative. Training is the reward, eating is the requirement.
This shift isn’t just philosophical, it’s physiological.
Performance nutrition recognizes two essential truths:
- Our bodies need fuel, and lots of it.
- Our bodies are smart and will use whatever fuel they’re given (yes, even a slice of pie or an apple both = glucose for working muscles).
The narrative that food must be “burned off” through training creates confusion, guilt, and underfueling. It also contributes directly to Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDS), a syndrome that affects performance, health, and long-term development.
Training Is Only as Effective as Your Recovery
Years ago in a research study, it was suggested that one of the contributors to Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDS) was that over time, our training volume has grown. While this may be partially true, I rarely see the recommendation to reduce training to help correct or prevent REDs.
So why aren’t we recommending a reduction in training volume to correct or prevent REDS?
The answer lies in the concept of relative load vs. recovery.
- If training volume is low, but nutrition, sleep, and stress management are even lower → training is still “too much.”
- But if training is high, and recovery measures like fueling increase accordingly, the body can adapt without tipping into burnout.
Which begs the question: What if we didn’t increase training until we were confident that nutrition could support it?
I believe we would see far less:
- REDS
- Injuries
- Mood shifts
- Hormonal disruptions
- Performance plateaus or regressions
- Overtraining
- Chronic fatigue
The bottom line: Train hard, but recover HARDER.
Recover like your life and performance depends on it … because it does.
Become a Certified REDS Informed Provider
If you work with athletes, especially those struggling with underfueling or disordered eating, become the expert they need.
The REDS Informed Provider Certification Program® helps professionals:
- Identify REDS early using proven screening tools
- Build athlete-centered nutrition strategies
- Communicate confidently with athletes and parents
- Coordinate care with coaches, therapists, and physicians
- Guide recovery without sacrificing performance
Join the next LIVE cohort of the REDS Informed Provider Certification Program® today!
If you’re an athlete looking for support, explore the directory of certified REDS-informed providers who are ready to help here.